Sunday Brunch at the Biltmore

Last Sunday, after waiting about 3 weeks for the Boston Brunchers’ event, I finally made my way down to Newton to where my friend and fellow blogger, Megan, lives (in an adorable apartment I might add.) Megan and I went to college together and when she found out I too write a food blog, she was more than supportive. I mentioned to her that I wanted to get more involved in the food blogging world and when she won two tickets to this event, she didn’t hesitate to ask me. If that isn’t blogger love, I don’t know what is.

When we arrived at the Biltmore Bar & Grill, the host took us through the front bar to the back part of the restaurant. There were vintage signs and old-fashion art plastered on the walls and our long table was set with flowers and a white tablecloth. I must admit, I was pretty jittery all morning in anticipation of the brunch. Since it was my first time meeting all the other guests (minus Megan), I wasn’t sure how I would fit in with the seasoned bloggers.

My anxiety quickly diminished as I sat down at the table. The others immediately introduced themselves and I recognized a few of them from their blogs. I could feel my face turn a not-so-subtle shade of fuschia as I told them who I was and I what the title of my blog is. They welcomed me with open arms and I knew it was going to be a good morning. My fellow bloggers included Megan, of course, Corey, Krista, Kimmy, Justin, Amanda, Carolyn, Josie, Katy, Michelle, and our wonderful host, Renee.

–Oh! And by the way… since my camera doesn’t want to cooperate and upload my photos into my computer for actual use, all of the photos in this blog post are courtesy of Renee. (Thank you!!)

When the restaurant host came out with paddles of sample cocktails, I was instantly intrigued. The first was a homemade Bloody Mary, the second, a Mimosa, made with the restaurant’s freshly squeezed OJ. I’m not really a huge fan of tomato juice so I only had one small sip of the Bloody Mary but the Mimosa blew me away. I had to restrain myself from draining the glass in one gulp. Someone sign me up to juice oranges in that place if it means I can drink those everyday.

The first course consisted of a lobster frittatta. Now – I rarely eat lobster. I don’t love it when it’s merely dipped in butter but throw it in a soup or on the top of fluffy egg and cheese and call me SOLD. The egg itself was crispy on top and along the edges and creamy (yet light) in the center. I immediately ate the green tendrils off the top. As tempted as I was, I knew I couldn’t eat the full amount of every course so I dug into about half the frittatta, picked off and ate all the lobster, and prepared for the next course.

Before I go any further, I have a confession to make. It’s no surprise now (although it was to my fellow brunchers) that I gave up carbs for Lent. Now, I don’t really believe in the whole “You can have what you gave up for Lent on Sundays” and I haven’t used it as an excuse at all this Lent with the exception of this past Sunday. I could not justify being at this beautiful brunch with complimentary food from an obviously very talented chef and at least not TRY it. I think you’ll forgive me when you see what’s coming up.

When the second course came out, so did my Lenten secret. Nevertheless, my new friends were not judgemental, just awestruck. The plate in front of me held a (very large) chive biscuit topped with a poached egg (perfectly runny, just how I like it) and a jalepeno cheese sauce. I carefully broke the yoke, letting it ooze down the sides of the biscuit. I sloshed the mixture onto a piece of egg white and a bit of chive biscuit and let the whole thing melt into my tastebuds. Now normally, I don’t eat eggs (only egg beaters) or just avoid the yokes, but I couldn’t resist the golden hue of the egg mixed with the cheese sauce. It was all-around heavenly. This time, I ate the whole egg and all of the sauce with a few bites of the biscuit, but sadly had to leave most of it behind.

Course three was a play on a popular dish: Pigs in a Blanket. Instead of the mini hotdogs wrapped in crescent dough we all remember from childhood, this piggy was a maple breakfast sausage wrapped in a warm buttermilk pancake. It was served with apple-maple syrup. Okay, I know this might be a stretch but the syrup just might have been my favorite thing about the ENTIRE brunch; I kid you not. It was thinner than regular maple syrup and infused with an apple-cider taste that was uncomparable to any syrup I have ever had. As I said multiple times during the brunch, I could drink a vat of the stuff. Sure I’d be on a sugar overload after and probably feel sick, but hey, this syrup was WORTH it. The actual pancake/sausage combo was delicious as well. Sweet syrup, savory meat and fluffy pancakes are always a good combo in my book.

Next up: Chicken & Waffles. I won’t lie – I was nervous about this one. I don’t never eat fried chicken or waffles. Although I am aware of the Southern significance of the dish and despite the fact I have been to the South more times than I can remember, I had not yet had it. But when the waitress set the plate down in front of me, I was pleasantly surprised. The fried chicken was crisp not not oily at all. The waffles were sweet and both were accompanied by the same apple-maple syrup I swooned over in the previous course. The host told us that normally, our plate of 1 piece of chicken and 1 waffle was just one-third of the normal sized meal. Granted, I was already filled with 3 courses prior to trying the chicken and waffles but the thought of eating triple the amount dumbfounded me.

Finally, the last course, our “dessert” was served. A simple parfait of homemade granola, fresh berries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream garnished with a strawberry finished the tasting menu. The granola was crunchy and slightly sweet and was the perfect accompaniment to the tart berries and thick whipped cream. It might just have been my favorite course at the brunch.Overall, the Biltmore Bar & Grille provided delicious food, excellent, friendly service, an ecclectic atmosphere and an experience that I will not soon forget. I plan on attending many more Boston Bruncher events in the future and hope to see my new friends there as well!